A new 72-hour cease-fire took effect in Israel and Gaza Tuesday morning, halting the nearly monthlong onslaught of violence. 

In addition to the cease-fire, which was mediated by Egypt, Israel announced that it had withdrawn forces from Gaza, and Hamas said it would participate in negotiations to ensure that the cease-fire holds. 

The majority of Israeli military troops have withdrawn from populated areas in Gaza, and many redeployed in Israel, according to The New York Times. Yet, on Monday morning, Israeli military officials said some Israeli troops would stay in Gaza. The following announcement of a complete withdrawal was a concession to the Egyptian proposal.

By late Monday morning, Gen. Moti Almoz, the chief army spokesman for the IDF, said all Israeli forces have vacated Gaza. 

"There were a number of forces inside," he told army radio, according to The New York Times. "But all of them have left."

According to Gaza officials, 1,834 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, most of whom are civilians. Israeli officials said that 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians were killed since fighting broke out July 8. 

Before the cease-fire took effect at 8 a.m., Hamas fired rockets toward Israel, prompting warning sirens to sound in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Israeli military then carried out five airstrikes in Gaza before the fighting came to an end. 

The mood was not celebratory in Gaza City when the fighting stopped, but Gazans who were interviewed by The New York Times said they believe the cease-fire has a greater chance of succeeding. Previous cease-fires were very short lived and quickly dissolved becuase of the resumption of fighting. 

The deserted streets of Gaza began to populate once again with donkey carts and cars, many of which were carrying the possessions of displaced families. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans fled the fighting and are now moving supplies such as mattresses, clothes and kitchen accouterments back and forth to different locations. Many remain in schools and with relatives and friends, as many do not have homes to go back to. 

People began walking the streets once again with some going to banks and shops. Many shops are selling merchandise that they hoped to sell at the end of Ramadan but could not because of the conflict. Many gas stations are still closed, and traffic lights are out because of a lack of electricity. 

The area's infrastructure has been badly damaged, including water and sewage systems. According to the United Nations, around 260,000 Gazans out of a population of 1.8 million have been displaced because of the conflict. 

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said Israel finished its mission to completely destroy "approximately 32 tunnels" built by Hamas that were being used to infiltrate Israel. He said Israel also destroyed more than 3,000 Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets. He said the two groups launched more than 3,300 rockets into Israel, and they are believed to still have stocks of around 3,000 rockets. 

Lerner said Israel is still wary of attacks and will respond to attacks on civilians or Israeli forces. 

"We will continue to maintain defensive positions from the air, the coast and the ground outside the Gaza Strip," he told The New York Times. He said that previous ceasefires have failed, and that maintaining peace "depends on what happens."

However, Hamas and Islamic Jihad seemed ready for the conflict to come to a standstill. The two militant groups accepted an Egyptian proposal that was not very different from one they rejected early on in the conflict. An earlier American attempt at a cease-fire, brokered by Secretary of State John Kerry, also dissolved quickly amid renewed violence.  

Talks will most likely be held in Cairo by all involved parties about how to ensure that the 72-hour cease-fire can yield a more lasting peace. 

According to a Gallup Poll, Americans' views on the conflict have changed little throughout the course of the month-long war. 

According to the poll, those who pay very close to attention to the conflict are more likely to say that Israel's actions are justified. There is slightly less of a tendency for people who use social media to say that Israel's actions are justified, yet that group still supports Israel more than the average of American adults. 

The findings suggest that Americans respond to the crises in ways that reflect their general attitudes towards Israel and Palestinians rather than the specifics of the conflict. In general, Americans are more likely to sympathize with Israelis than Palestinians when asked to choose a side.